Knee arthroscopy surgery at Spire Elland Hospital

At Spire Elland Hospital, our team of orthopaedic (bone and muscle) surgeons can offer you a treatment and care plan that's personal to you and your needs. Our dedicated team will provide expert aftercare to help you get the most from your operation.

We offer fast access to diagnostic tests and scans and easy booking with appointment times to suit you. So you don’t have to wait long to find out if treatment is right for you.

At Spire Elland Hospital, we have wide experience of performing knee arthroscopy in our high-quality facilities. The procedures offered to you will depend on your symptoms or condition. Some of our consultants perform:

• Autologous chondrocyte implantation – used to treat painful cartilage defects in your knee. Healthy cartilage cells are taken from another part of your body and later injected into the damaged area of your cartilage
• Microfracture – your surgeon makes small holes in your bones to stimulate cartilage growth

We also have two laminar flow operating theatres which regulate air flow to minimise the risk of infection.

Getting here

Spire Elland Hospital is situated just a 2 minute drive from the M62 motorway meaning we’re convenient for patients in Calderdale, Huddersfield, Kirklees, Dewsbury and Bradford. Public transport options are available. We have free parking on-site for you and your visitors.

Your consultations

For your appointments, you’ll meet your consultant in one of our 13 consultation rooms. All of our rooms are accessible, so don't worry if you have difficulty walking.

If you haven’t been diagnosed yet, your consultant will do the following before a knee arthroscopy:

• Discuss what may have happened to cause your symptoms (eg a sports injury or fall)
• Ask about your medical history
• They may recommend using our advanced scanning, imaging and diagnostic technologies to look at your knee to help understand the cause of your pain or mobility issues

Your consultations give you an opportunity to discuss your needs and expectations from your surgery. We can then outline a treatment and care plan that’s tailored to you.

On the day of your knee arthroscopy, you’ll meet your orthopaedic consultant again and your anaesthetist. If you’ve come with a friend or family member, they’re welcome to wait in our lounge while you have your operation.

For the operation, you will have a general anaesthetic, so you’ll be asleep.

Once ready, your consultant will make tiny incisions and pass a small telescopic instrument into your knee. This is called an arthroscope and has a camera so your consultant can see inside your knee to do any of the following:

• Investigate your knee to find a cause of your pain or other symptoms
• Repair damage to soft tissues
• Remove loose bone fragments or scar tissue
• Take tissue samples if there’s inflammation

Exactly what happens during your procedure will depend on your symptoms or condition. Your consultant will let you know if they recommend further treatment following an investigative knee arthroscopy.

After your operation, you may go home on the same day or the following day, this depends on the time of your surgery and whether you had any treatment.

Although there’s less pain with keyhole surgery, you’re likely to feel discomfort once the anaesthetic wears off. How long this lasts will depend on:

• The cause of your knee pain
• Whether you had any treatment during the procedure
• If you have an ongoing knee disease or injury that needs further treatment
• Your personal pain threshold

But don’t worry, you’ll be given painkillers to help you manage over the following days. Your physiotherapist will also give you an exercise plan to help you get active again, plus a guide to how long your recovery will take.

Your consultant may also explain to you what’s been found and whether they recommend further treatment.

Although everybody’s different and you should always follow your consultant’s advice, here’s a typical recovery timeline for knee arthroscopy: